Readers have hit back at claims Cardiff’s students are the leading cause of litter blighting roads around the city.

Last week the disgusting state of some streets in Cathays and Roath was exposed, with festering rubbish that was piled high outside homes spilling onto pavements.

Photographs showed how animals free to forage for food from bins had torn bags open to get at the rotting waste inside.

Councillors said students crammed into small houses for short periods before moving on had triggered a decline in what was once a proud, tidy area of Cardiff.

They said the knock-on effects of failure to tackle the litter crisis could undermine council plans to pull new investment into the city.

But Echo readers argued the problem was not just down to students.

Father Irving Hamer, of St Martin in Roath Church, said many groups shared the blame and only communal efforts would fix it.

He said outside his home in Roath businesses regularly stacked rubbish around overflowing bins.

“Many of the houses seem to stockpile their black refuge bags and other kinds of rubbish in their front gardens,” Fr Hamer said.

“We have a very good weekly collection of waste but this can only be collected if its left on the pavement on right days. These are not houses occupied by students.”

He added: “Let’s not simply blame students. Let’s try and raise a general awareness of the mess this part of the city is sadly becoming so used to that few pass comment.”

Reader Freya Fluharty said families were using black bin bags for food waste, despite Cardiff city Council’s insistence there was “no excuse” to do so, because of the difficulty getting hold of food bags.

“I’ve been searching and deliveries have been put back and put back. Apparently the council itself ran out” she said.

“As for students, they play a big part. But it’s also the attitude of so many people today.

“There’s no respect for others or the surroundings and I don’t care what is said about penalties, it doesn’t happen.”

And Facebook user Twm Owen told the Echo he too had problems getting hold of the correct bags for food waste. He said: “There is a perfectly good reason to put food waste in black bags and that is the council’s consistent failure to carry out its responsibility to ensure a supply of the food waste bags is available in the Cathays area.”